World's Largest BiOPV Roof Installation Using Heliatek's HeliaSol®

Today ENGIE, Heliatek and the Department of Charentes-Maritimes inaugurated the world's largest BiOPV installation on a roof. 500 m² of Heliatek's solar films were installed on the roof of the "Pierre Mendes France" middle school in La Rochelle, France. With 3 different lengths of 2, 4 and 5.7 meters, nearly 400 films were applied in record time. The result is the largest BiOPV - Building integrated Organic PhotoVoltaic - roof installation, worldwide to date, and proof of the ease and speed that these solar films can be installed.

Heliatek’s HeliaSol on a standing seam roof system in La Rochelle, France (PRNewsfoto/Heliatek)

In a joint project with partner and investor ENGIE, the largest OPV project on a roof to date has been completed by Heliatek (PRNewsfoto/Heliatek)

Heliatek's HeliaSol® "ready-to-use" film was used on a roof installation for the first time. With a self-adhesive back and preconfigured wiring, HeliaSol® is mounted directly onto existing roof surfaces and only needs to be electrically connected. Taking into account the preparation time, 6 people needed only 8 hours to install 500m² of HeliaSol® as deployment took just over 2 minutes per film. With an installed power of 22.5 kWp, about 23.8 MWh will be generated annually, representing approximately 15% of the school's electricity demand.

HeliaSol® is a "ready-to-use" solar product solution for the retrofitting market of roof surfaces and facades. HeliaSol® is suitable for all energy-saving renovation projects where restrictions on weight, statics, access, insulation, guarantee or penetration of the roof play a role in product selection. This French installation is the first step in preparing for a general market entry.

Heliatek is anticipating market developments and increased requirements to integrate existing surfaces into the energy system of a building. "Light roofs, which usually do not allow for standard PV technology, can now produce green electricity with our HeliaSol®. Thanks to our strong partner and investor ENGIE, we were able to rapidly realize this exciting project," says Thibaud Le Séguillon, Heliatek's CEO.

ENGIE is assuming a leading role in the transformation of the energy sector. "Renewable energy is an essential part of our strategy of decarbonization, decentralization as well as digitalization of energy. Almost half of the energy consumption comes from the buildings sector. Buildings that couldn't previously be used for energy production will be able to cover their own electricity requirements. With Heliatek's technology, they will contribute to a decentralized and green energy supply," says Isabelle Kocher, ENGIE's CEO.